About Carlos Batara

ABOUT IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
CARLOS BATARA

You’ve probably landed here to find out if Carlos Batara is the right attorney for you and your family. Or maybe you just want to figure out how he’s different from all those other lawyers.

Well, read on. We think you’ll decide, even if you don’t hire our office, that Carlos is uniquely qualified to guide you even in the most challenging immigration situations.

His background, education, experience, and skills, after all, make him a one-of-a-kind advocate for immigrants.

Most folks know very little about their attorneys.

If you become my client, I need to ask a lot of questions about your life. I assume you’d like to know some details about mine.

Let’s get started.

EDUCATION

I attended the University of Southern California (USC) on a Ford Foundation Fellowship, earning degrees in International Relations and Economics. While at USC I was a member in the International Students Association. I hosted students from Iran, Russia, Chili, and Germany.

I earned my law degree at Harvard Law School, which I had the fantastic fortune of also attending on a scholarship. As part of my legal studies, I took several courses in International Law and worked closely with the International Law Students Association on various projects. I participated in Harvard Law School’s joint venture with Tufts University’s Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy.

At Harvard, our professors emphasized understanding not just the law, but the logic and policy of the law. One professor taught us, “The law is the law, until you change it.” Good lawyers, we were told, know how to challenge bad laws with reason and logic. These principles are especially relevant to today’s practice of immigration law.

Carlos Batara

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING

I opened my first law office in San Diego in 1993. I began practicing immigration law immediately – helping clients win their green cards, lawful permanent residence, naturalization, and citizenship cases. Within two years I opened a second office in Escondido, California.

Requests for our assistance continued to grow. After winning some tough cases in San Diego and Escondido, I decided to expand our services into Riverside County, and shortly later, into other parts of the Inland Empire. Today, we have five Southern California locations and one in Arizona.

My offices have handled legal matters for clients from over 80 different countries.

My goal is to assist at least one family from every nation in the world before I call it quits.

Throughout my legal career, I have placed a special focus on helping clients facing deportation and removal – immigration trials, deportation appeals, and complex cases. We’ve won several cases after other lawyers told clients they had no chance to prevail. Giving up prematurely was not how I was raised.

As an immigration appeals attorney, my practice is now nationwide. I have helped clients residing not just in California – but also in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

BACKGROUND

I bring a multicultural background to my immigration law practice. I’m proud of my heritage. And I strongly dislike laws which discriminate against human beings based on their place of birth or cultural upbringing.

My father was a farm worker when he first arrived in this country from the Philippines. He later became a dishwasher and kitchen helper at a Chinese restaurant. Like many immigrants, he worked long days at minimum wage. He was not paid overtime and was only allowed two days off per year, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

My mother, a U.S. citizen, had family roots in Mexico and Spain. She, too, worked long hours with no benefits. After she stopped working as a factory worker, she became a housemaid and personal chef for various homes. She, like my father, rode the bus to work every day. Our family never owned a car.

Yet, they never complained and always gave their best for their employers, their family, and their community. My parents taught me to value hard work. Over and over again they encouraged me, “Always do your best.”

When I started attending college, my parents recommended I choose a career where I would be able to give my best everyday. I became a lawyer.

This is a special honor – an honor which comes with obligations and responsibilities. I may not be able to guarantee the outcomes of cases. But I promise to always do my best.

Carlos Batara

PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC ACTIVITIES

I have been active in civic affairs since my teenage years. While in college, I was specially trained as a community organizer by Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers. For many years, before and after law school, I used these skills to coordinate local, state, and national political campaigns.

After law school, I was recruited to create a community-based program to combat adult illiteracy by the State of California. Based on the program’s success, other projects were given birth throughout the state. The program received numerous accolades.

For my efforts, I was given “The Key To The City” by the City Council of National City, where the pilot program began. Little did people know that I had privately dedicated the undertaking to my father, who did not know how to read or write in English.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, I worked in the arena of politics as a legislative assistant and public relations specialist. I served on local, state, and federal government boards and commissions. During this same period, as an adjunct college professor, I was selected to design and teach courses on Constitutional Law and Political Science for Honors Students.

Former Chairperson, Immigration Law Committee, American Bar Association, Solo and Small Firm Division

California Public Defenders Association

California State Bar Association

National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives

Former Chairperson, Workers Compensation Section, San Diego County Bar Association

COMMUNITY AND FAMILY

When it comes to helping immigrants, I do not believe that being a lawyer is enough.

Thus, I voluntarily sponsor annual citizenship drives and local Q&A forums for immigrants in the Southern California area. A few years back, I was honored to be elected as the American Bar Association National Chairperson of the Solo and Small Firm Immigration Law Committee.

Batara Immigration Law represents immigrants throughout Southern California and Arizona.

Our Southern California immigration offices assist clients living in the following Southern California communities: Riverside County, San Diego County, San Bernardino County, Los Angeles County, Imperial County, Orange County, Santa Barbara County, and Ventura County.

Our Arizona immigration offices assist clients living in the following Arizona communities: Maricopa County, Yuma County, Pima County, Pinal County, Santa Cruz County, La Paz County, Gila County, and Cochise County, Graham County, and Greenlee County.